18 in 2018

I used to have a 101 in 1,001 post, but man that’s a lot of tasks to try to get done! That’s a very daunting number and it overwhelmed me instead of inspired me so I decided to mix it up a bit.

I commit to doing 18 things in 2018. That’s a more manageable number, and then the tasks will be more meaningful rather than random just to meet a quota.

I’ve been on a self-love and self-development journey for quite some time, and I’m ready to really start stepping up and getting bold.

For too long, I’ve been scared to be seen as weak or vulnerable so I haven’t shared many aspects of my life on here or on social media. I’ve slowly start sharing more and more, and man it’s been really freeing.

— Declutter every aspect of our apartment by the end of the year.

I feel like this is a never-ending process, honestly, but I commit to really focusing on it and making it a priority this year. I’m getting married this fall, and I know we’ll be incorporating exciting new things into our lives. Why not start making room for it all now? I’ll focus on one area at a time so I don’t overwhelm myself and end up doing nothing.

— Read 50 books.

I’m off to a good start because as of February 22, I’ve read 16. But soon I’ll have a full-time job again and won’t have as much free time to dedicate to reading, so I adjusted my goal accordingly.

I’d felt the call to do something more to really connect with the women in my life for a long time, and I finally took one small step to making that a reality. I made a Facebook group! I was actually really nervous about making it, but then I figured that if it failed, who would even know or remember it? Kind of a pessimistic viewpoint, but it worked for me to get it up and running! I want to really nurture and build up the community of amazing women in that group to help us all connect, grow, learn and more.

— Get a pen pal.

This is something I’ve always wanted to do as an adult but I’ve never taken the steps to find one. I feel like writing letters has definitely become a lost art form, and who doesn’t love getting letters that aren’t bills in the mail?!

— Get a new tattoo.

I’ve had a few ideas floating around for new tattoos for quite a while, but they got put on the back burner when other life events keep popping up. I think it’s time for me to finally get a second and maybe even third tattoo this year. I’m putting it out there so we’ll see!

— Start doing tarot readings for other people.

I’m pretty new to tarot and oracle cards, but I really want to learn more about them in general and the two decks I have. As I get more comfortable doing readings for myself, I’d love to open it up to other people to help them as well. This will probably take me a little while, as I don’t want to rush the process, but I feel called to do it.

— Learn how to cook and bake better.

Josh is better at cooking, and I’m better at cleaning. It’s a good system for us, but I want to get better at cooking and baking because I see how much fun he has creating things in the kitchen.

— Create something tangible.

I’m not sure exactly what this means, but I was inspired to write it. Maybe it means a book or digital course or something completely different. Even though I don’t 100% know what it is, I want to focus on making it happen and see what the universe has in store for me.

— Write in my journal every day.

I feel better about myself and my life in general if I can write down what I’m feeling or worried about. I can tell that when I haven’t journaled in a while, I feel all jumbled up and cluttered on the inside. I’ve been getting better about this, and I want to make sure this habit continues. I think we can all learn a lot from ourselves, and journaling is one way to make that happen.

— Take more selfies.

I’ve noticed that for a long time now, I rarely take photos of myself. I’ve come a long way in my self-love journey, but this is still a struggle for me for some reason. It never occurs to me until later that it would be fun to have photos of various moments in life, including of myself. I commit to taking more photos of myself and my surroundings instead of just books, coffee, candles and my dog (although I will definitely still take photos of all of those things).

— Finish my vision board.

I got a good start on it in January, but then my interest just kind of died out. I want to continue having inspirational things all around me, and I know that’s a big chunk that’s missing from my life. I’m going to figure out exactly what I want on there and I’m going to make it happen.

— Learn how to make my own candles.

I absolutely love candles, but I know some of them contain harmful ingredients and/or fragrances. It would be so fun to make our own candles at home and then be able to enjoy them without worrying about the ingredients affecting us or our dog.

— Revamp my relationship with money.

This has always been something that’s bothered me basically my whole adult life. I really hate money but I also need it to do any and everything. I think my negative associations with it have impacted more of my life than I realize, so it’s time (it’s beyond time) to get my finances and my feelings for it all sorted out.

— Learn more about crystals and their healing powers.

There’s a rock shop in town I’ve been to twice now, and it’s been so inspiring and uplifting both times. I’ve always been interested in rocks and crystals but I’ve never really looked into their benefits or anything. I recently cleansed and charged all of the crystals and rocks I have, whether I just got them or I’ve had them for years. I also got The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall, and it’s been so interesting to learn about crystals I’ve been so drawn to without knowing why. I want to learn more and incorporate them more into my life and even on my blog or social media in different ways.

— Find ways to be outside more.

I’m definitely a homebody who loves being inside, but I miss being younger and exploring and reading outside in the yard and just being in nature. It’s a little more difficult to do that in an apartment building, but I could still find reasons to be outside more for health reasons or even for our dog to explore more of our neighborhood or something. I need to be out in nature more, soaking in the sun’s rays and feeling the earth between my toes.

— Be part of a new book club.

I’ve been part of book clubs in the past, and they’ve all dissolved for one reason or another. I’d love to be part of a new book club that’s focused on spirituality and/or women. There’s so much out there to learn, and I’d love to learn and discuss with other people more.

— Spread positive vibes every day.

This can vary greatly from day to day, but I feel like all of us could use more positivity in our lives. Some days this might mean letting cars go in front of me in a parking lot or paying for someone’s coffee at Starbucks. Other days this might mean helping a friend with a problem or buying something just to make someone happy. There are so many different ways to spread positive vibes, and I need to get better at sharing my light with others as often as I can while still taking care of myself.

— Figure out exactly who I am.

I know parts of who I am, but I can’t confidently say I know everything about who I am as a person. I know we all change and grown throughout our lives, but I feel like I need a better grasp of myself. I’ve changed a lot even over the past few months, so I need to get reacquainted or even introduced to different aspects of myself. 2018 will be my year of self-discovery.

What do you want to accomplish this year?

Welcome, friend! I love to write, blog, obsessively quote TV shows and movies, be sarcastic, smile and help other women discover the power of self-love. Let's connect!